I’ve posted here before about how storytime is one of our little ones’ favorite activities. We have family story nights outside in the summer, where we all sit out on our deck and read together. The kids have pretend storytimes of their own, where they snuggle up in the big chair in our living room and Essley “reads” to Emmett. (There is quite possibly nothing more adorable than this, by the way.) Essley and her friends play storytime on playdates. Robbie and I love how much they enjoy these experiences. In a time where screens dominate so much of our daily lives, there is something incredibly reassuring (especially when our kids, like most, admittedly do love their screen time), to know that they find such genuine joy in books.

Because they are such big fans of storytime, you can imagine the kids’ excitement (and then subsequent heartbreak, when they realized we’d have to miss out because we’ll be on vacation!) when we found out about Storytime LIVE!, an awesome event that Kiddie Academy is hosting at multiple locations here in Illinois this Saturday, July 29th. You may remember me singing Kiddie Academy’s praises in the past. They’re a nationally recognized provider of comprehensive educational child care programs, with a really wonderful Life Essentials® curriculum that focuses on social and emotional character education, and physical and cognitive outcomes – all of which are aligned with state preschool learning standards. And Storytime LIVE! is yet another cool thing they’re doing for little ones. It’s a fun, educational community reading event (that is also free!) intended to promote reading amongst kids. It will also help prepare little ones for the transition into school or a school setting through the combination of playtime and leaning (which are the main parts of the Life Essentials® curriculum). And the best part is that Curious George (one of our kids’ all time favorite characters) jumps off the page and visits the classroom in person! So fun, right?

For my readers here in Illinois, ten Kiddie Academy locations will be participating in Storytime LIVE! this weekend: Arlington Heights, Batavia, Carpentersville, Darien, Frankfort, Naperville, Oswego, Park Ridge, Plainfield, and Streamwood. And the event is open to everyone – whether your children are current students, you’d like to learn more about Kiddie Academy, or you’d just like to be a part of this special experience with your kids! To reserve your spot to attend, just click here. If we weren’t going to be several hundred miles away, we would be there in a heartbeat. And if you go, I’d love to hear about it!

Do your kids enjoy storytime as much as mine do? What books are their favorites?

Donna, thanks so much for addressing this parallel. When my own girl, Daisy, joined me in 2001, it became devastatingly clear that the model of thought that engenders pit bull-type prejudice is inevitably linked to human ethnicity prejudice. When Daisy joined me, I had no idea that "pit bulls" were a thing. Except that my girl was one, I had no idea that dog breeds could be a target of prejudice. My girl taught me to always greet hatred with love and compassion, even joy. It came to be that while we stood shoulder to shoulder, we were standing for not only ourselves, but for all sentient beings. Tolerance and kindness is non-negotiable, and while it may never become the baseline, I hope that by working together, it may at least become socially formative across ALL demo graphics.BAD RAP Blog

I fully intended on having a fantastic post prepared for you guys today, but instead I’m just going to get real and admit that after all of the traveling we’ve done the last few weeks, a trip we’re leaving for today (which you might have read about here; ya know, the one that I, for months, thought was next week), a pretty big work load for me with partnerships for here and on Instagram and my freelance stuff, the zillion activities the kids are in right now, and just life in general, I can’t seem to get my sh*t together today. I have some really great posts coming up in the next couple of weeks, but today just felt so overwhelming that I didn’t feel like “wasting” them. That sounds really negative, and I’m honestly not feeling negative at all. I mean really, I’m pretty lucky that I have the option of saying “I don’t feel like doing my job today.” And I’m really looking forward to our trip (which we’re taking with my late stepdad’s big, wonderful family, in his honor), despite the fact that I got the weeks mixed up and have been frantic. And right before we leave today, Emmet has his annual developmental therapy assessment for his epilepsy and I just have a great feeling he’s going to be assessed as even better than great. I am grateful everyday for my life and my family and my work. But yeah, today I just needed to write an old-school-blog style post where I’m just talking to you all like we’re having coffee (or better yet, a margarita) at some really great outdoor cafe, and not sugar coating how I’m feeling. Ya know?

I’ll leave you with that, and the grainy but beloved photo above, which is from when we went to Door County with my stepdad and his family back in 2015. (Emmett is the age now that Essley was then. Weird.) I’m going to take a few day break from the blog, but we’ll be back here next Tuesday, with a much more inspired post. And you can always follow along with our trip (which includes a 6+ hour car ride with my children) here. Happy early weekend, friends. May you get a little break too.

Texas Husky Rescue, Inc. was created in May 2009 as a non-profit 501(c)3 animal rescue organization that is run entirely by volunteers. Its mission is to rescue, rehabilitate, and find qualified loving homes for neglected, abused, and unwanted Huskies throughout Texas and beyond as well as educate the public about responsible pet ownership and the special qualities of the Siberian Husky Breed.

Here’s what Texas Husky Rescue had to say about a recent Halo Pets donation, which was made possible with the help of Phydeaux & Friends in Austin, TX:

“…having Halo available for them gives us the peace of mind they are getting the nutrients they need to be the very best husky…”

“Halo has been a critical part of our program for every husky we have had this past year. We would not be able to have 60 dogs in our program right now if it were not for the generous donation of food, which allows us to allocate the funds we save towards making sure all of our huskies get the very best care.

From the healthiest of huskies to those needing a little TLC, having Halo available for them gives us the peace of mind they are getting the nutrients they need to be the very best husky they can be as they start the next chapter of their life searching for their family.

Zeus’s Story

Zeus was picked up as a stray and brought to a local shelter. He wasn’t reclaimed and was labeled as “rescue only” because he was highly stressed and wasn’t feeling the whole shelter vibe (who does, really?). Once out of the stressful environment and into a place where our volunteers were able to show him the love and affection he so desperately needed his true personality came out! And boy does he have personality!!!

It didn’t take long for us to realize his rescue only status was not a true reflection of him, he is extra sweet and over just a big goofy fun loving boy who loves a nice ear scratch. The two months he spent in our program he enjoyed learning how much fun being a happy husky can be and of course all the yummy Halo food he got for his dinners. He learned quickly he wouldn’t ever have to go hungry again, there was always plenty of tasty food available to fill his tummy. After two months we were thrilled to watch as Zeus walked away tail wagging and head up high with his very own family who loves him. (Is there any better sight??) This sweet boy now loves to play in the yard with his doggie friends and can not get enough love from his people.

Nymeria’s Story

Nymeria was an adoption return to the shelter because after 2 week her owners realized they were moving and couldn’t take her. She was terrified and depressed being back in the shelter. It didn’t take long for her to show signs of illness and they called us immediately. When our volunteer picked her up at the shelter we knew right away Nymeria was in trouble! She was EXTREMELY underweight, listless and couldn’t even walk on her own! We rushed her to our vet where she got some antibiotics, a B12 shot and an IV. Our vets determined she had pneumonia in both lungs and stayed overnight at an emergency vet clinic to monitor her progress. After getting her illness under control Nymeria went to a wonderful foster home where they began giving her some much needed extra TLC (and some extra Halo meals) where she began to gain weight and gain trust in people again.

Zeus and Nymeria are just two examples of the many dogs we save every day. We do not know what happened to these sweet babies before rescue but we do know that thanks to generous donations from our partners at Halo and our great team of volunteers that none of these dogs will ever know what it is like to be alone and scared again. It is a promise we make to each and every dog we bring in and one we never go back on.”

Thank you Texas Husky Rescue for making a WHOLE lot of difference for pets in your community.

When you choose Halo pet food, made from natural, whole food ingredients, your pet won’t be the only one with a radiant coat, clear eyes and renewed energy. Halo feeds it forward, donating over 1.5 million bowls annually. As always, Halo will donate a bowl to a shelter every time YOU buy. Thank you for helping #HaloFeeditForward

On Sunday, May 7th over 1,300 people and 900 dogs attended the 4th Annual PuppyUp Madison Walk at McKee Farms in Fitchburg, WI. This is the largest PuppyUp Walk the Foundation holds each year, and each year the PuppyUp Madison Team surpasses their goals.

Their beginning goal in 2014 was $ 10,000 and 50 participants and they passed that goal by raising approximately $ 87,000 with over 750 participants. This year the goal was $ 135,000 and 1,000 participants; they again blew their goals out of the water by raising over $ 156,000, having 106 Teams and 52 Sponsors and vendors.

Success at this level is not gained over night. Many steps are planned with precision for months, progress is monitored daily and often by the minute. The dedication and passion of the Madison Committee (Beth Viney, Dr. Kai-Biu Shiu, Ann Lippincott, Lana Hesch, Mel Stodola Taylor, Mary Ann Francis, Katie Martz, Danielle Kay, Courtney Tyson, Jennifer Schleicher, Vicki Nussbaum, Lori Gibson and Dr. Linda Sullivan) inspires all who meet them. The hours they spend away from their dogs, family and friends in order to fight cancer in pets and people is much appreciated not just by me, Luke and our Board of Directors, but by all the people they encounter along the way. They have created a community in which others feel free to seek help, advice and even a shoulder to cry on. Many now feel that there is hope that one day we will have better cancer treatments for our two and four legged companions. And some day through the research that we are funding …. a cure, so that others do not lose loved ones to this horrible disease.

A special thanks to Beth Viney (co-founder of PuppyUp Madison) who works tirelessly in memory of Czar and is an inspiration to all who meet her; Ann Lippincott (2017 Chair) who dedicates her fight against cancer to Velma, (or Miss V as she is sometimes called); and Dr. Kai Shiu (co-founder of PuppyUp Madison, Veterinary Oncologist and Chair of the Puppy Up Foundation’s Scientific Advisory Committee) who fights cancer on all fronts in his office, and for the Foundation.

Through their efforts, they have raised $ 500,000 in the past 4 years allowing the Foundation to add funding to much needed research, awareness and education.

When asked to comment about the 2017 PuppyUp Madison Walk, Luke Robinson, the Founder of the Puppy Up Foundation stated “Trail Magic has taken The Puppy Up Foundation from just 2 dogs and a homeless dude to funding cutting edge, peer reviewed cancer research in exciting areas like immunotherapy at world class institutions, and it led us to Madison, WI. And where Kai and Beth and all of Team Madison have taken it from there is nothing short of awesomeness! My proudest achievement aside from getting the Fuzzybutts safely across 4,000 miles for this cause is how Puppy Up Nation has inspired the best and greatest in all of us.”

We’re looking forward to 2018 PuppyUp Madison.

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YBD’s Notes – the photo above is of the Puppy Power Team led by Michael, a 9 year old lad I had the honor of meeting who became one of Madison’s top fundraisers and at last count that was $ 5,800. Congrats and cheers to a job well done!

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Of course, Hudson, the famous Fuzzybutt, had his own take on Madison. As some of you know, he’s become some what of a degenerate in his old age, humping indiscriminately. Boy dog, girl dog it doesn’t seem to matter one bit earning him the nickname Humpson we just chalk it up to the French in him. The Old Perv wrote a Haiku about his recent time up in Madison WI, home of the Badgers, and what’s become the town where the Fuzzybutts ring in summertime.

What is it about French Bulldogs that make them so irresistible? What is it about French Bulldogs that make them so irresistible? This one is waiting for a helping hand from his owner so he can drink out of the fountain in Menton. RIVIERA DOGS